Ugh: Lena Dunham on "The Sting" We've All Felt

By Megan Conley

Earlier this month Lena Dunham hosted a sold-out event at Housing Works in NYC to promote the launch of the offspring of her uber-popular online feminist newsletter, Lenny Letter. The new brand, Lenny Books, is part of Random House and is the brainchild of both Lena and Jenni Konner. 

The night celebrated the first book to be released by Lenny, Sour Heart. Lena took the stage alongside the author, Jenny Zhang, in an evening that was just as entertaining as it was inspiring. 

The advice Lena and Jenny Zhang dispelled was relevant to not only female authors, but any female trying to achieve more in their career. 

Here are some takeaways from the evening:

Push Yourself

While Jenny’s fictional collection of short stories just hit shelves August 1st, the book has already been deemed both “unforgettable” and “elegant and unconventional” by the press. Such rave reviews make it easy to imagine a scenario where once she’s formed an idea for a story, everything else just flows out onto her page.

Not so. 

According to Jenny, in order to get the most out of herself she writes against her ego. She said, “Writing against the worst of who you think you are is my writing process.” 

Know Your Unique Value

The dialogue between Lena and Jenny was relaxed and natural, and the event felt as though you were seated next to them at a dinner table. 

When describing the experience of developing her own voice in an academic setting, she spoke to the advantages and disadvantages of being continually critiqued. As with life, if we listen and take advice from each and every person we lose our uniqueness. Doing so would cause us to turn out, as Jenny put it, “like a very bland, boiled peanut.” 

She also said to develop your voice independently of all the voices speaking around you.

Allow Yourself to Be Mentored

Both Lena and Jenny spoke about having their work edited. They each praised their editors, and mentioned the sting that comes alongside putting your heart and soul into something only to be told it isn’t quite there yet. 

No matter what we do for a living, we’ve all felt that sting.

A good editor, as with any coach or work mentor, will take your work and encourage you to make it even better. We should allow ourselves to be mentored and edited by those who are appreciative of our potential.

As someone who’s always been in awe of Lena’s writing and television I wanted to know why, at this point in her career, she’d decided to take launch Lenny Books. I was thrilled* (*Beyonce is to Adele as Lena is to me) when she read that question aloud. Her response:

Lena: A huge part was Jenni. We knew we wanted an imprint with smart, diverse feminist content….The goal is when you see the insignia you’ll know you’ll learn something and feel something. You’ll feel more connected to yourself and less alone. Even if you hate it you’ll step away being like, I had a really powerful experience. And books are the best. 

With the next book up being a collection of never-before-published essays about Michelle Obama we know what’s to come will continue to inspire. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received in your career? Let us know in the comments!

Megan works for Wellness Amplified, where she helps clients develop and execute campaigns with online Influencers. In Megan's free time she enjoys writing, taking spin classes, and experimental attempts at cooking. Her writing has been featured in Social Media Week, Social Media Today, and Brides. P.S. Her New Year's resolution was not to become one of those insanely annoying "just engaged" people. But... if you want, you can check out her proposal video here.

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3 Ways to Be Contagiously Social

Strong women can tell stories that simultaneously rock viral reach and niche connection, and guess what? You’re part of this squad, and we’ve got a name: contagiously social. When we’re contagiously social, it’s not just our stories that ignite, but also the style in which we share them. Best of all, this fierce fusion is surprisingly simple. Just do three things:

Abandon. Obsess. Infect.

1. Abandon labels (hashtags included)

You know the nuances of your industry, platforms, and followers, so trust that your social strategy will work like muscle memory when you let go of labels. Share in the moment. This strategy is so real, it might be surprised to hear itself called that. 

Teen Vogue Digital Entertainment Editor Ella Cerón rocks this. She’s a social media savant (Insta, Twitter, Facebook, and beyond), but people know her first and foremost as a funny, know-all fashionista who’s not afraid to get real when breaking news breaks hearts. It’s seamless yet unobvious content strategy focused on real-time stories, personality (on and beyond brand), and community (from close friends to influencers...and by that, I mean Kim Kardashian).

What inspires or surprises you right now? Tell that story, even if it’s not ready-made with a hashtag. There’s both freedom and followers to be found in this relatable-yet-reckless abandon.

2. Obsess over what you love

Reclaim obsession. It’s now a powerful, positive word that screams, “I’m passionate and my own person!” Be the #bosslady of can’t get enough. Champion what you love and pay no heed to “trending.” Start the social convo. Chances are, other women and brands obsess over cheap lipstick, hot sauce, and puns, too. (No? Just me?) Create a project, campaign, or partnership together! When you celebrate shared passion, the right people follow suit, and bam—obsession transforms into collaboration. 

Jazmine Hughes and Jessica Kane rock this. Hughes, associate editor at The New York Times Magazine, wrote a brilliant Cosmopolitan story for which she dressed as Empire’s Cookie to explore a question on many women’s minds: Do I deserve this job? (Spoiler alert: Yes, you do.) Kane, director of millennial outreach at the Huffington Post, loves donuts. From HuffPost’s first-ever donut gif to deliciously-hyperlinked out-of-office emails, she bakes this love into her personal and professional brand like a boss.

Share what you love. Feelings and followers will be mutual. It’s the best answer to Mariah Carey’s enduring question, “Why you so obsessed with me?”

3. Infect with unique style

How is a huge part of storytelling. Take Tasty, for example. All it took was some sharp overhead camera footage in the kitchen, and now our Facebook feeds (pun intended!) are filled with BuzzFeed’s mac and cheese miracles. It’s all about style, so once you have your story, shake up how you share it. This could be visual or verbal, but it’s gotta be vibrant.

Fashion designer Misha Nonoo rocks this. Nonoo launched New York Fashion Week’s first-ever #instashow with her SS16 collection. Nonoo brought it to the hashtagged height of #NYFW with the help of 30 #bosslady influencers like Lena Dunham (hey, 2.4 million+ followers, nice to meet you). Media loved it, and it caught on: Nonoo just wrapped up her fall 2016 instashow in partnership with rewardStyle, this time using her personal Instagram and shoppable links with LiketoKnow.it. Now you see this content—monetized-yet-meaningful, Insta over in-person—and this style—larger images made from the ‘gram grid—from the best brands, corporate accounts, and small creative projects.

Stories and style infect our industry, and soon, we see their symptoms everywhere. We spread a brilliant bug. And don’t worry—“new” doesn’t have to mean “never before.” It’s all about finding fresh ways to fuse your what with your how.

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You’ve got something compelling and contagious to share. Go forth and abandon, obsess, and infect. I can’t wait to catch this wildfire. 

Aileen McGraw is a writer on on a mission to redefine sartorial by fusing all things social, art, and editorial. Her work intertwines stories and strategy to amplify the bold and the not-yet-told. She’s been published in the Huffington Post, majestic disorder, and Chickpea Magazine, among others, and currently rocks content strategy at Microsoft. She lives by the words, "There's no such thing as too spicy." Find Aileen’s portfolio here.